Mechanical counter.



J.- 0., MORRISON.

MECHANICAL COUNTER. APPLICATI'QN FILED APR. 11, 1912.

Patented N (W. 7, 1916.

VENTOR 1/12 I-I: III/11114 WITNESS ES mm the direction of the arrow; Fig; -5 is a sec-.

JOSEPH O. MORRISON, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

MECHANICAL COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. *7, 1916.

Application filed April 17, 1912. Serial No. 691,284.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEr-H O. Morrison, a resident of Anderson in the county of ,Madison and State of Indiana, (whose postotlice address is Anderson, Indiana,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Counters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical counters, of the class wherein a plurality of mechanisms are provided to be successively and progressively actuated, the first being adapted to record the units quantities, and each succeeding mechanism being adapted, respectively, to record the respective nextsucceeding higher-place quantities.

Oneof the objects of this invention is, to provide means for carrying-over e., actuating means to be interposed between one mechanism, when said mechanism has reached its individual limit of registration, and the succeeding mechanism) of an improved type. Another object is to provide means adapted to clear (2'. 6., adapted to actuate all the quantity-signaling elements to a zero registration), without causing said clearing means to be operated through a path of travel substantially greater in length than the full path normally traveled by one of said first-mentioned mechanisms.

Other objects of the invention, more or less broad than those stated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts, and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection" contemplated will appear from the claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein is illustrated one of the many possible embodiments of my invention; Figure 1 is a view in side' elevation of said embodiment; Fig. 2 is a View in end elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, after there have been removed nut 6, the washer 5, the actuating-handle 4E, 'the'screws 3, and the face-plate 2, and after he g also removed from spindle"? within casi rigl the spring-pawl carrier 18;- Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally thr ugh said embodiment; Fig. at is a sectional 'ew taken on the line aa of Fig. 3, looking in tional View taken on the line 5-4) of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 6 is an illustration showing the rear-face of the ratchet wheel 9 illustrated in Fig. 2 and also of the rear-faces of certain other ratchet Wheels hereinafter described; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the ratchet-wheel illustrated in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a top plan" view showing one of certain guiding rings 10, also shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the cams 15 hereinafter mentioned.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of this invention disclosed herein, 1

represents a casing, through which extends.

longitudinally as shown a spindle 7. At one end thereof, outside the bottom wall of the said casing (saidbottom being assumed to be the closed end wall), there is shown mounted on said spindle, between said spindles cap 11 and the bossed portion formed on the outside of said bottom wall of said casing l, a clearing handle 12, provided with a pin 13 adapted to fit into a snappocket 14, thereby to hold said handle in its normal ready-to-cl'ear and post-cleared position. Starting from the left, in Fig. 3, there is shown within said casing 1 a cam 15 (keyed upon said spindle 7 as shown), a guiding ring 10 (fixed within said casing 1 as shown) and provided with an interior notch as at 10, Fig. 8, and a ratchet wheel 9 (loosely mounted on said shaft 7 as shown). The 'rearface of this bottom ratchet wheel is as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, in that it is provided on its under side with a loosely mounted pawl 16, and in that it carries on its peripheral surface a zero-tonine registration-series. Immediately over said bottom ratchet wheel 9, there are provided in the same order, and disposed in the same respective relations, the elements of a second series of these parts, to wit, a cam 15, a guiding ring 10 and a ratchet wheel '9 (with its pawl 16 and its peripheral indicia as described above). Similarl another set of these parts is, mounted over the set justmentioned. Three of these sets have now been disclosed, and as each of them exposes through the window-17 in casing 1 (Fig. 1) a single digit, one in the units column, one in the tens column and one in the hundreds column, it will be seen that the ca.-

' ratchet wheel 9 (seeQFig. 2),

of this embodiment is 999; for ex- Fig. 1 discloses the suppositious total Taking a section through the line 6-?) of Fig. 3, there is disclosed a relation of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein may be seen an observation WlIldOW'l7 (Fig. 1),.a guiding ring 10, a spindle 7, a

pacity ample,

ratchet wheel 9 (loosely mounted on said spindle and disposed beneath said guiding ring), and a cam 15 (fixedly keyed upon said spindle). There is also shown a pawl 16, carried on the rear face of the ratchet .wheel thereabove, which latter is, as illustrated in Fig. 3, superposed over said cam; portions of this last-named ratchet wheel being disclosed in section at A on Fig. 5. l WViththe' above mentioned hree sets of elements each set comprising inorder a cam 15, a guiding ring-10, and'a ratchet wheel superposed within casing 1 as illustrated in Fig. 3, a ratchet wheel 9, and the spindle 7, with thelatters key-way 7 (for keying cams 15 thereon see -Figs. 5 and 9),

9 (see Fig. I 5).,

would be disclosedwithin casing 1 as illustrated in- Fig;',2,flwere'said casing to be viewed in lan' from above its open end. Superpo'serl' over saidf exposed. top there is loosely mounted on saidspindle Tapawl-an'd-spring carryingemember l8, (see 'Fig. +1). -This member 18 carries a pawl .19, adapted to said ratchet wheel, and a leaf-spring 20,

maintain said pawl in position This member 18 is shown as bea key-way 21 (Figs. 3

. operating knob 22, and the handle itself is cording to how fixedly mounted upon said spindle 7 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

Having described his embodiment of this invention, the operation thereof may now be understood: The top ratchet wheel 9 illustrated in Fig. 2 necessarily having ten teeth as shown, as have the other ratchet wheels 9, it is clear that one complete revolution of this top ratchet wheel should, to bring about a successful operation of the device, cause one-tenth of a revolution of the next succeeding ratchet wheel, and so on, from ratchet wheel to ratchet wheel, acmany columns the capacity. of the embodiment may be: and it is clear also that this top ratchet wheel should move a one-tenth revolution to cause its peripherally-carried digit exposed through the window 17, Fig. 1, to be displaced by the digit one place higher. Now, upongrving to member 18, throughihe suitable acthe registered result will be h the teeth onv the upper face of after-face plate 2 has v eos-sea tuation of actuating handle 4:, an operation in the direction of the arrow (Figs. 3 and 4 equal to'one-tenth of a revolution, thetop ratchet wheel 9 shown in'Fig'. 4 will also be given one-tenth of a revolution; and, assuming the indicating peripheral surfaces all initially registering zero throu h the windowl l, 001. When in normal predetermined position, that is when it individually registers zero, this top ratchet wheel 9 will be so disposed on guiding ring 10 (Fig. 5) that said ratchet hung pawl 16 will not be in the efiective position shown in full lines, (5. e., effective to engage the adjacent tooth of ratchet wheel 9 but will-occupy the position shown 'in dotted lines at 16 (i. 6;, swung clear, by

means of the guiding action of ring 10, free of'the tooth which'would otherwise be there adjacent). Thereafter, when the top ratchet wheel 9 1s given"successive fractional revo- I lutions by the actuating means, this pawl 16, for nine of such fractional revolutions,

is held free of engagement with a tooth upon theratchet wheel 9 therebelow, due to the control of lip 23,-formed integrally upon the underside" of said-pawl (Fig. 7), which travels in'the pathway between the interior irregular periphery of guiding ring 10 andthe exteriorirregular periphery of cam 15 below said top ratchet wheel-Figs. 3 and 5. When pawl 16 has been successively moved ten times from its dotted position 16 (Fig. 5), its next step travels in said pathway, having again brought itself within the notched or eccentric portion thereof opposite the notch 10, will cause it to engage the next tooth upon 'the'ratchet Wheel.

next-below, and while'simultaneously' bringing its 'own ratchet wheels visible registration again to 0, as predetermined, (said ratchet wheel having'peripheral indicia as, follows: 1 2 3 4: 5 6 7'8 9 0), it gives the next-below ratchet wheel a one-tenth revolution, therebycausing its visible registration to change from 0 to -1,- so that the complete result will be as follows, 010. In this manner, by providing '00 duplications of the cam-ring.-ratchet-pawlcombination, the registration may be made to cover a total to as places, for example, the present embodiment, comprising three of such combinations, covers a total to three places, i. e., the total 999.

In order to clear the device, a very simple operation is necessary. It should be understood that earns 15 are normally stationary, as illustrated in Fig, 5, since spindle 7 is normally stationary, the latter fact being due to the provision of pin 13 and its registry with snap-pocket 14. It should be understood also that pawls 16 may. be in wheels underdifferent and varying positions in their respective paths of travel when it is desired to clear the device. It will therefore be obvious that one complete actuation ofwhere during its actuation abutting against its said pawl and swinging the same back to the position illustratedin dotted linesin Fig. 5 and thereby causing a zero registration. To explain this resetting more in detail, say that the pawl 16' illustrated Fig. 5 is occupying another position, asthe position 16, (to which, let us assume, it has been previously displaced during actuations of handle 4 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4), remembering as above that the various other pawls 16 may be-in different and varying positions in their respective paths of travel; wherefrom a description of the resetting operation of the cam 15 illustrated in Fig. 5, with reference to the pawl 16 illustrated in said figure, may apply also to the similar and simultaneous operations of all the cams 15. Pawl 16, then, is at the position 16, its lip 23 (Figs. 5 and 6) being cleared, by means of the interposed guiding ring 10, of engagement with all teeth carried by the ratchet Wheel 9 therebelow except the tooth 10. Now, when shaft 7 is as above turned 'in a direction the reverse of that indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 4, the cam 15 is turned with said shaft, whereby the curved nose.

15 of .the cam is caused to travel around in an anti-clockwise direction until finally it abuts against the wall16 of the lip 23 carried by the pawl 16 (it being-still re membered that said pawl 16 is assumed to be now occupying the position 16). it is clearthat said approach of cam 15 against the lip 23 has not at all been .obstructed by the existence of the .pivot A, which ivot merely serves to mount the pawl 16 1111's,

trated in Fig. 5) upon a superposed ratchet wheel (not illustrated in Fig. 5). The further' travel of nose .15 to complete its re- 'turn to the normal location illustr causes a similar return actuation of paw 1,6 to its normal location'in the shown latchengagement with tooth .10 of the ratchet wheel therebelow, having, during such re-.

turn actuation been maintained. away from allther. ,teet" of the ratchet-wheel lass mentioned by means of the guiding ring 10, and. having been merely nosed past said tooth 10' by virtue of the usual ramp 10" carried by said notch as illustrated.- And the return actuation of pawl 16 as just described,causin areturn to zero registra tion (or normal location) of the ratchet "wheel upon which said pawl is mounted (said ratchet Wheel, overlying the pawl 16,

mined positions.

obviously not being shown in Fig. 5); a

similar and. simultaneous return of the ratchet wheel below said pawl being ac complished by another pawl mounted on the rear of said ratchet wheel (said. pawl not being shown in Fig. 5). Each ratchet wheel 9, as shown in Fig. 3, carrying a pawl 16 on the rear face thereof, and acani 15 being mounted on shaft 7. in rear of each .of said pawls, it will follow that a zero registration may thus be attained, no matter.

what the previous registration, by means of a single reserve revolution of shaft 7-.

In addition to attaining the ends and objects above referred'to, itshould be clear that I-have rovided inthis embodiment a device of a simple, compact and reliable nature, and one that is totally free, with but one exception, of any spring-means whatever. Obviously, too, this spring could readily be eliminated.

As many .-'changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invem tion could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be-interpreted as illustrative and not in a'limiting sense.

It is also to be understood language used in the. following specific features of the invention herein described and all statements ofthe scope of the invention, which as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween'.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-' ters Patent, is

14-111 an apparatus of the class described, in combination, arevoluble member normally occupying a predetermined position,

i that the claims. is Intended to cover all of the generic and operating means for moving the same in one 1 direction, a secondrevoluble member ,aor

mally occupying a' predetermined position, means controlled by said first mentioned revoluble member and'adapted'to cause a.

fractional}; revolution ofsaid second mentioned revoluble member during each comrevoluble member, transverse extensions on said revoluble members, and means movabie 1n the reverse directlon adapted to engage said; extension when the revoluble members are in other than their predetermined posiplete revolution "of said first mentioned time and thereby return both bf said revoluble members to their respective predeter 2. In-an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a revoluble member normally occupying a predetermined. position, operating mallyoccupying fa, predetermined position, 130

meansfor moving the same in. one directipn, a second revoluble member normally occupying a predetermined position,

means controlled by said first mentioned revoluble member and adapted to cause a fractional revolution of said second mentioned revoluble member during each complete revolution of said first mentioned revoluble member, transverse extensionson said revoluble members, and means movablejin the reverse direction adapted to engage said-ens; tensions when the revoluble members are in" abnormal position and thereby 'simulta -g neously return both of said revol'uble mem bers to their respective predetermined positions. I

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

in combination, a revoluble members 1101'- operating means for moving the same infone direction, a second revoluble member" 1101? mally occupying a predetermined position, means controlled by said first mentioned revoluble-member and adaptedto cause va fractional revolution of said second inen tioned revoluble member during each complete revolution ofsaid, first mentioned revoluble member transverse extensions onsaid revoluble members,.a revoluble spindle upon which are krosely carried both of said revoluble members, means fixedly mounted on said spindle and adapted to engage the extensions Whenthe revoluble members are in abnormal position and thereby return Copies bi this patent ma be obtained for both of said revoluble members to their respective predetermined positions upon the turning of said spindle in a reverse direction,'andmeans to operate the spindle.

.4. In an apparatus of the class described,"

in combination, a revoluble-member, ratchet means. comprismg a plurality of ratchet units, said ratchet means controlling the revolution of said revoluble member, a fixed -member' provided with 'an opening, said opening-being adapted to expose one of said engagesaid;ezrp'osed unit once during each revolution of said second mentioned revoluble member, an extension on said pawl, a rev'o'luble spindlewand -a member controlled by the-revolution ofsaid spindle adapted to engage -the"extensio'n on" saidpawl and return the pawl"to i tsnor mally predetermined position within saidopening'.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

. JOSEPHO. MORRISON. Witnesses FRANK E. KIMBLE,

" EDNA \BRANKLE. H

five cents eael by addressing the'fiommissioner 01' Patents, Washington, D. 0.? 

